SCBWI Adcom member Suma Subramaniam interviews Miranda Paul.
Suma Subramaniam: Today, I’m beyond thrilled to welcome acclaimed children’s author and my literary agent Miranda Paul to Pen & Story! Miranda will be doing manuscript/portfolio consults, a keynote, a self-editing and revision master class workshop, and manuscript consults at the upcoming December monthly meeting of SCBWI Western Washington.
Miranda Paul is an award-winning author of more than a dozen fiction and nonfiction books for children. She has received starred reviews and Junior Library Guild distinction for several titles, including One Plastic Bag, Water is Water, I Am Farmer, Nine Months, and Little Libraries, Big Heroes. Her book, Whose Hands Are These? was an ILA Teacher’s Choice and her edited poetry collection, Thanku: Poems of Gratitude, was a 2020 ALA Notable title for all ages. Miranda is a frequent presenter at schools around the world, and has presented at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center with environmental activist Isatou Ceesay. She is a co-founding member of We Need Diverse Books. More at MirandaPaul.com.
Suma Subramaniam: A hearty welcome to Pen & Story, Miranda! First and foremost, I must tell you how much I adore your books and how distinctive the voice is in every one of them. What is your secret sauce for getting into the heart of your stories and characters?
Miranda Paul: Thank you so much for the praise! As you know, many of the books I have published have been a long time in the making. I certainly don’t have secret sauce, but the people who know me can see how each is a reflection of not only my interests, but my personal connection and depth of immersion in a subject. If you’re not feeling your story or character, your reader surely won’t.
Suma Subramaniam: You and your husband, author Baptiste Paul, have published books together. How do you maintain a work/life balance? Also, how do you and Baptiste decide which projects to tackle?
Miranda Paul: How does anyone maintain a work/life balance? 2020 is a particularly challenging year for this kind of question. But Baptiste and I don’t really decide which projects we will collaborate on—it’s obvious from the start which projects we’re both drawn to. Often, they’re projects where we really need each other’s insight or vision and or we’re tackling a huge concept or project. It’s wonderful to be able to create works for children with the person you love.
Suma Subramaniam: What is the biggest challenge of being an agent and an author in a pandemic?
Miranda Paul: Everything? Since the pandemic hit just months after I came on board as an agent, I’m not sure I have much basis for comparison. On the author side, missing the school visits and being with readers is the hardest part.
Suma Subramaniam: I’m lucky to be part of your diverse client list. Are you open for submissions? What kind of projects do you welcome queries for right now?
Miranda Paul: I am not actually open for submissions to the general public, but I will accept submissions from the attendees of the December event. I also accept submissions via referral and I am always open to underrepresented voices. I’m open to anything board books through YA, although I’ll let people know that I’m not a huge fan of horror. I love finding books that have some kind of nerdy or geeky element but yet appeal to the masses—not just teachers, for example. If you can write something that gets a parent to shell out $20, it must have humor and heart, or resonate with a wide audience.
Suma Subramaniam: What is the etiquette about revising a manuscript based on agent feedback and querying an agent who has rejected you in the past? Is there a length of time to wait?
Miranda Paul: I can’t speak for any other agent, but if I’d like to reconsider a manuscript after reading it I will let the writer know. There is no length of time—but sometimes when I get a revision back within the same week or even the same month, I wonder how much time they took or how deeply they considered the feedback. I’d rather get the revision a year later when it’s stronger and at its best than get it turned around quickly and it still needs more work.
Suma Subramaniam: Is your approach more manuscript by manuscript or are you looking to build a long-term career?
Miranda Paul: I generally rep writers and writer-illustrators who want to publish many works over time, and most clients have sent me multiple works before we even sign together. But if someone approached me and just wanted to write a book here or there on occasion, or if they have another job/career, that’s fine too! I’m not going to turn away any book I fall in love with and want to represent. Everyone has their own path, and it’s my job to help the client reach their own goals, whatever those are.
Registrations are open Miranda Paul’s Keynote, Master Class Workshop, and Manuscript/Portfolio Consults. Please check https://wwa.scbwi.org/ for more details.
About the guest interviewer, Suma Subramaniam
Suma Subramaniam is the contributing author of The Hero Next Door (Penguin Random House, July 2019). She is also the author of She Sang For India: How MS Subbulakshmi Used Her Voice For Change (Macmillan FSG, Winter 2022) and Namaste Is A Greeting (Candlewick, Fall 2022). She is the Mentorship Program Coordinator of SCBWI-Western Washington and Director of the Internships Grants Committee at We Need Diverse Books. She hires tech professionals for a leading software company during the day and is a writer by night. Suma has an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and degrees in computer science and management. Visit her website at https://sumasubramaniam.com.